Cotton-seed planter.



Patented Sept. ll, I900.

J. H. WOLFE.

COTTON SEED PLANTEB.

(Application filefl my 28, 1900.)

(No Madal.)

UNrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. WVOLFE, OF FREMONT, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE LEI-IR AGRICUL- TURALCOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

COTTON-SEED PLANTER.

-SPEGIZEICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,720, datedSeptember 11, 1900.

Application filed May 28, 190(1- Serial No. 18,246. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. WOLFE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fremont, in the county of Sandusky and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Seed Planters;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in seed-planters, and is designedmore especially for use in planting cotton-seed as it comes from thegin, and is designed to provide a simple device by means of which theseed is separated, distributed, and discharged in separated conditioninstead of in a bunch, as is done at the present time.

Other objects will become apparent upon further description of theinvention.

The invention consists, essentially, in the construction and novelarrangement of the several parts of the device hereinafter described,illustrated in the drawings, and more particularly pointed out in theclaims hereunto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view Showing the seed-hopper containingmy invention applied to the cultivator. Fig. 2 is a view of the droppingmechanism detached from the cultivator, with the hopper removed. Fig. 3is a sectional view on line at 00, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a top view of aportion of the dropping mechanism, the agitator'disk being removed toshow the relative arrangement of the other parts.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 indicates a cultivator of anyof the usual well-known constructions, and 2 an operating orpower-transmitting wheel, as is evident.

3 is a cylindrical shell or base in which the distributing mechanism issupported. 2 is a seed-hopper fitted over and upon said cylindricalshell 3. This shell or base is provided with outwardly-extending arms 44 4, which arms are provided with downwardly-depending apertured ears 55 5, by means of which the supporting-base is attached to the frameshoulder 10 and an upper shoulder 11, the

lower shoulder being of less diameter than the upper shoulder andadapted to support the distributing-ring 12. The bottom of this ring isprovided with an annular flange 13, which rests upon and is supported bythe annular shoulder 10. This flange is provided with gear teeth 14,which intermesh with suitable driving mechanisms, to be hereinafterdescribed. The upper edge of said ring is provided with toothedprojections 15, with distributing-spaces 16 formed therebetween. Theside of the shell is formed with a suitable opening 17, through whichthe seed drops into the tube 18, and thence to the ground.

The numeral 19 indicates a cap-shaped agitator-disk, whichis providedwith lugs 20 20, extending upwardly from the side walls thereof, whichlugs are adapted to be received into notches or recesses 21 21 in theflange 8 of the circular gear 7. The outer side wall of saidagitator-disk is provided with toothed projections 22, between which aredistributingspaces 23, throughwhich the seed is passed to the spaces 16of the distributing-ring. The upper surface of this agitator is providedwith spirally-arranged agitator-wings 24, which serve to agitate andseparate the seed and pass it to the spaces in the distributing-ring.The center of said distributing-disk is provided with aninwardly-extending hub 25, and the several parts are secured together bymeans of a bolt 26 and a thumb-nut 27. The

thumb-nut 27 is provided with ahollow spintile 28, which fits Within thehub 25 and about which the agitator-disk rotates.

The under side of the shell is provided with depending ears 29 29, inwhich is journaled a rotatable shaft 30. Rigidly secured on the shaftare two gear-wheels 31 and 32, respectively, the gear-wheel 31 meshingwith the teeth of the circular gear 7 through an open ing 33, and thegear=wheel 32 meshing with the teeth of the distributing-ring 12 throughan opening 34. The gear-Wheel 32 is provided with a boss 35, having inits outer edge slots 36, which are adapted to be engaged by lugs 37 onthe hub 38 of a driving gear wheel 39, mounted loosely on the shaft 30.The hub of gear-Wheel 39 is provided with an annular groove 40, in whichis seated the fork of a lever 41, by means of which said gear wheel 39is shifted into and out of engagement with the gear-wheel 32. The powerto drive the gear wheel 39 is transmitted from the powerwheel 2 by meansof a sprocket-chain or other suitable mechanism.

The operation of the device is as follows: Power is transmitted from thewheel 2 through the chain to the driving-gear 39,- which engages withthe gear 32 and rotates the shaft 30. The gear 31 meshes into the teethof the circular gear 7 and drives said gear and the agitator connectedthereto to the right, and the gear 32 meshes with the gear-teeth of 14the distributing-ring and drives said distributing-ring to the left, theopposite motions of said distributing-ring and agitator serving toseparate the seed and deliver it evenly and at regular intervals. Therapidity with which the seed can be distributed depends on the gear usedto operate the device.

Having thus fully described my invention, whatI claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a seed-planter of the character described, the combination of ashell or base provided with a central support and a concentric annularshoulder, a distributing-disk mounted on said annular shoulder, meansfor rotating said disk in one direction, an intermediate disk mounted onsaid central support and adapted to be rotated in a direction oppositeto the direction of the distributing-disk, and an agitator-disk mountedupon and carried by said intermediate disk.

2. In a seed-planter of the character described,the combination of ashell or base provided with a central support and a concentric annularshoulder, a distributing-disk mounted on said annular shoulder, meansfor-rotating said disk in one direction, an intermediate disk mounted onsaid central support and adapted to be rotated in a direction oppositeto the distributing-disk, an agitator-disk mounted upon and carried bysaid intermediate disk and having on its upper surface spiralagitator-wings, and an opening in the shell at one side thereof topermit the passage of seed from the hopper to the distributingtube. V l

3. In a seed-planter of the character described,the combination of ashell or base provid'ed with a central support and a concentric annularshoulder, a distributing-disk mounted on said annular shoulderandprovided with peripheral distributing-spaces, means for rotating saiddisk in one direction, an intermediate disk mounted on said centralsupport and adapted to be rotated in a direction opposite to thedistributing-disk, an agitator disk mounted on and carried by saidintermediate disk, Wings on said agitator-disk and an opening in oneside of the shell to permit the passage of the seed to thedistributingtube.

at. In a seed-planter of the character described, the combination with asuitable carriage or support, of a shell or base provided with a centralsupport and a concentric annular shoulder, a distributing-disk, mountedon said annular shoulder and provided with gear-teeth on its under side,an intermediate disk mounted on said central support and provided withteeth on its under side, an agitator-disk mounted on and carried by thein termediate disk, said distributing-disk being provided withperipheral distributing-spaces, a driving-shaft, a gear-wheel mounted onsaid shaft for driving the distributing-disk in one direction, and agear-wheel mounted on said shaft for driving the intermediate disk inthe opposite direction.

5. In a seed-planter of the character described,the combination with acultivator and a power-wheel mounted thereon; of a cylindrical shell orbase, an opening in one side thereof, the said opening leading from theinterior thereof to the dropping-tube, a central support,- acylinder-gear seated on said support, annular shoulders in said shell, adistributing-ring supported on said shoulders and provided with geaiteeth on the under side thereof, a separator and agitator superimposedonsaid distributing-ring and carried by said circular gear, mechanismsecured to the under side of said shell and connected with thepower-wheel on the cultivator, whereby the distributing-ring and theagitator and separator are rotated in opposite directions to separateand give an even distribution of the seeds to be planted, as set forth.

6. In a seed-planter of the character described,the combination With acultivator,and a power-wheel mounted thereon; of a cylindrical shell orbase, a hopper mounted thereon, supporting-arms for holding said shellto the cultivator, a central upwardly-extending annular support in saidshell, a circular gear provided with a flange and seated on saidsupport, a-n'nular shoulders in said shell, a distributing-ringsupported on said shoulders and provided on the under side thereof withgear-teeth, a superimposed cap-shaped separator and agitator carried bysaid circular gear, shafts secured to the under side of said shell andprovided with siiitable pinions rigidly secured thereon, a drivingclutch-gear loosely mounted on said shaft, means for shifting saiddriving-clutch into and out of engagement with one of said pinions; and

means for transmitting power from the powerwheel to said driving-gear,as set forth. 16

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES H. WOLFE.

Witnessesi I ALoYsI s J. HOFFMAN, HARRY E. PARDOE.

